37 Week Bumpdate

37 Week Bump Shot - Full Term!

How far along?  37 weeks- 9 months- 3rd trimester  & officially "full term"

Total weight gain: 150 lbs, up 1 lbs from last week... puts me at 25 lbs total so far. Feeling HUGE! 

Maternity clothes: Yes- sweater is from Destination Maternity and the dress pants are from Jessica Simpson's maternity line. Same ones as last week. They are over the belly and seriously SO comfy. Went all black today to try to feel "slimmer" too, haha. 

Stretch marks? Still nothing and swearing by using Palmer's every day! Feeling so lucky! 

Sleep: Even though sleep has been tough in general for weeks, this week I'm getting up to pee way more, but I've actually been sleeping a lot longer. Feel like my body must be resting up for the labor that's to come!

Best moment this week: The entire weekend. Adam and I had a date night on Friday after work. It was so nice to have a great meal just us. We went to Brio- I had steak and a wedge salad, and he got crab and lobster crusted salmon, so we were both happy campers. Then I went to brunch with my high school girlfriends- Brigitte, Stephanie, Melanie - who is pregnant too, 26 weeks along, and Meghan. It was great catching up with all of them. We never get to see each other enough with our busy work and home lives, so getting to see them is great and always feels like we picked up right where we left off. It's also nice to have another one of my best friends going through their first pregnancy at the same time, to talk about all the crazy symptoms and stuff. Melanie's waiting to find out the gender, and her due date is June 30th- I just can't wait to find out if she's having a boy or girl! (I'm guessing girl.)  I feel lucky to have that group of friends still. And brunch was delicious- we went to Market in Rocky River, which I've been dying to try, and it was so worth it! You figure it has to be good if you need reservations for brunch. Finally, we had Sunday dinner at my mom's, and she spoiled us with City Chicken, one of my favorite homemade dinners of all time. She had all the fix ins- biscuits, gravy, mashed potatoes, broccoli, greens and bacon, and gelato with fresh berries for dessert. SO YUMMY! 

Me & Melanie (26 weeks)
The Bumps @ Brunch - Prego Best Friends!

Movement:  Yes- he's definitely moving his butt from side to side, and still some little kicks and punches from time to time. He moves when I sing to him too, which is so cool. 

Miss anything?  Wearing heels- now that the snow is melted, I want to wear some of my really cute spring heels, but don't want to risk swelling or falling! Mimosas at brunch- I was jealous of the three girls that could drink them! And sleeping on my tummy. Since I never am able to get comfy at night, it will be great to sleep on my tummy again. 

Food cravings: Steak, gelato w/ berries (my mom got me hooked on that stuff!), and peanut butter eggs- I want my Easter basket early, lol!

Anything making you queasy or sick? Still seafood. Gross.  

Gender: Still BOY! 

Labor signs: Braxton Hicks and cramping. Really bad lightning crotch this week. One time I even screamed in the kitchen and scared poor Adam pretty bad, but it hurt so bad! My doctor also checked me again this morning, and we're making some progress. He's dropped lower than he was last week (head is still down too- phew!), and I've started effacing. I still am not dilated though. 

Symptoms: Heartburn, frequent urination, abdominal aches and pains, cramping, Braxton Hicks, backache, lightning crotch, and shortness of breath (at night)

Belly button in or out? Still completely popped out- and still grosses me out! 

Wedding rings on or off? Still on! yay! 

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy. This weekend was wonderful, and I'm just can't believe how fast this pregnancy has gone, and how close we are to meeting Landon. <3   21 days or bust (literally, haha)!

36 Week Bumpdate

36 Week Bump Shot- Officially in the 9th month!

How far along?  36 weeks- 9 MONTHS!!! WOWZA- 3rd trimester  

Total weight gain: 149 lbs, up 1 lbs from last week... puts me at 24 lbs total so far. However, I swear my belly has grown into a full-size beach ball! This bump is HUGE!

Maternity clothes: Wearing non-maternity tops actually (9 months and who would have thought?) The seafoam green shirt is one of the button-ups from Express, the leopard sweater is from Target and I just put a belt around it, and the dress pants are maternity- from Jessica Simpson's maternity line. They are over the belly and SO comfy- I love these work maternity pants! Must-buy for working mamas! 

Stretch marks? Still nothing and still using Palmer's every day! Feeling so lucky! 

Sleep: Same as it's been- so tough due to heartburn and just aches and pains all over. 

Best moment this week: I got to celebrate two of my best friends' birthdays, and it's always great to spend time catching up with girlfriends. We also went to an awesome brunch with two other couples on Sunday, so it was great catching up with them too! However, one of the best moments happened Monday at work in the morning. At our HR team meeting, the team had made a diaper airplane, and had cupcakes too! It was very sweet that they did something for the baby. I was very touched. 

Diaper Plan for Landon from my work- so cute! 

Miss anything?  Mimosas again! At brunch, they had the cutest mimosas with real flower garnishes- I wanted one so bad!! 

Movement:  Yes- some of the girls at work were feeling him today because he was definitely flopping around after the sugar rush from the cupcakes! They were so excited to feel him move. 

Food cravings: Still popsicles, eggs, and omelets (why I loved brunch so much), and Entemann's cheese kuchen. I ate a whole one over the weekend- I don't know how I only gained one pound! haha 

Anything making you queasy or sick? Still seafood. Gross.  

Gender: Still BOY! 

Labor signs: Nesting a ton. We set up so much stuff around the house for Landon this weekend, and I want everything in perfect order, cleaned up, and in it's place. I cleaned out all the cupboards in the kitchen and some of the storage bins/baskets around the house. And I'm definitely feeling Braxton Hicks more regularly, but obviously nothing that's long lasting or every few minutes. 

Symptoms: Heartburn, frequent urination, backache, abdominal cramping and pain, Braxton Hicks

Belly button in or out? It's totally popped out and I've even had to wear a band-aid over it a few times so it doesn't look like a third nipple, haha! 

Wedding rings on or off? Still on thankfully! 

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy. Overjoyed actually. This has been a great start to the 9th month. I feel so at peace with him being so close to joining us. Thrilled to meet you Little Man!!! 

Setting Up the Baby Gear

Hi Little One,

Mommy and Daddy have had a very busy weekend getting set up for you. Mommy is definitely nesting, and Daddy sort of is too! Mommy cleaned out all the kitchen cupboards and the fridge. She also cleaned out all the baskets and coat hangers around the house, moving some winter gear up to the attic. Daddy got a bunch of stuff at Home Depot to make the yard nice for your arrival too! We want our house nice and ready for you.

You've already got your own basket for toys in our family room 

We have gotten rid of so much furniture to make space for your stuff- the coffee table, our wine rack and bar, and three end tables (we'd rather not have them out since you could bang your forehead on those sharp corners). However, we also got some new storage baskets and shelves to better store your things. Who would have thought such a little person would need so many things! But we're excited to welcome you home.

Mommy set up your Boon Grass for your bottles to dry on. This was one of Daddy's favorite presents we got from our shower.

Boon grass bottle drying station

Daddy and Mommy also put together your Snuggapuppy Suite! You will have plenty of options when it comes to laying, rocking, swinging, and napping around the house.

Snuggapuppy Bouncer

Snuggapuppy Rock and Play

Snuggapuppy Swing

We also struggled for over an hour to put together your pack and play. But, we persevered and it is finally up and all stocked with diapers, wipes, hand sanitizer, burp cloths, and blankets so we can change you and keep you all comfy on the first floor if necessary. 

Pack and Play

We feel so blessed to have received all these wonderful gifts for you at our shower. It's so exciting to have them all set up and know that in less than 1 month, you'll be occupying them in the flesh!

Keep growing big and strong in there Landon. I can tell you are getting much bigger, and I'm getting more and more Braxton Hicks every day. But I can withstand any of those minor aches and pains to make sure you're big enough and strong enough in there before you come out. Keep growing buddy! We'll play and cuddle a ton once you're out.

Love you so much,

Mommy xoxo

35 Week Bumpdate

35 Week Bump Shot

How far along?  35 weeks- 8 months- 3rd trimester  

Total weight gain: 148 lbs, same as last week... puts me at 23 lbs total so far. Even though my weight stayed the same, my belly had gotten a LOT bigger from last week to me. He's really popping out front!

Maternity clothes: Yes- wearing another ASOS maternity dress in this picture, and a pre-maternity cardigan from Limited. 

Stretch marks? Still nothing and still using Palmer's every day! 

Sleep: Same as it's been- so tough due to heartburn. I pop up constantly in the middle of the night to take more tums and run to the bathroom. 

Best moment this week: I went out to dinner with my husband's family for his mom and dad's birthday. It was fun getting to see everyone. On Sunday,  my Gramma and I went to see Cinderella and went out to Red Robin afterwards with my Grampa to celebrate her birthday. March is certainly a birthday-filled month for our families already, so I'm happy Landon will get a birthday month almost to himself- just my Godmother's birthday is in April. 

Miss anything?  Mimosas. I wanted one so bad this weekend. 

Movement:  Yes- it feels like he's trying to push his way out of my belly! It's so cool to see him shift from side to side too. He feels so big, but maybe it's just because it's all new to me. 

Food cravings: Still popsicles and chicken fingers, I've also been craving lemon or limes or sour citrus, and ice cream- especially peanut butter busters from Dairy Queen. Yummo! 

Anything making you queasy or sick? Still seafood. Blahhhh.  

Gender: Still BOY! 

Labor signs: Nesting, making sure everything is clean and put away. Lighting crotch from time to time (so uncomfortable!), and I definitely have Braxton Hicks contractions or little mini-cramps on my sides, but they go away quickly and don't happen very often. Hoping it stays that way for the next month so he keeps growing big & strong. My Gramma said it doesn't look like I dropped yet, so it should still be a few weeks! 

Symptoms: Heartburn, frequent urination, insomnia which equals exhaustion, backache

Belly button in or out? It's totally popped out and has now almost popped out so much it's turn back in! EEK!!!

Wedding rings on or off? Still on thank goodness! 

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy most of the time. I had a little moody spurt today- just too much to do both at home and at work, but overall I'm feeling so happy and excited. I can't believe we could be meeting Little Man in 1 month! :)

34 Week Bumpdate

34 Week Bump Shot

How far along?  34 weeks- 8 months- 3rd trimester  

Total weight gain: 148 lbs, up 1 lbs from last week... puts me at 23 lbs total so far. Feeling SO HUGE, even though a lot of people at work keep saying I look small to them (I don't know how!). But the Dr. told me yesterday I'm right where I should be- phew! 

Maternity clothes: Yes- wearing another ASOS maternity dress in this picture (I think this one was only $30). I love their maternity clothes- inexpensive and actually pretty comfortable and still stylish. What a pregnant mama wants! 

Stretch marks? Still nothing- feeling so lucky. Using Palmer's every day! 

Sleep: Same as it's been- tough! And everyone is saying "Sleep now, while you can" but that's nearly impossible between work and being uncomfortable. Oh well- all worth it for this Little One. 

Best moment this week: Landon's nursery is officially finished!!! (You can check out pics here.) Adam and I changed around our family room to be more "baby friendly." We put our TV above the mantle, and we got two storage shelving units (soon to hold a ton of baby gear and toys, I'm sure!). We also moved around our couches and got rid of a table and an old organ, so it opened up a lot of space. We also got a rug for in front of one of the couches, so Landon doesn't have to learn to crawl on hardwood floors. Priorities have sure changed! :)

Miss anything?  I've been dying to drink pop, and I'll try to just have one glass, but I swear I want to drink the entire 2 liters! haha

Movement:  Yes- the doctor said his head is down, and I can feel his sweet little bottom popping out at the top of my tummy above my belly button. He shifts it and his arms and legs from side to side throughout the day, so sometimes I feel his kicks on the right, and sometimes on the left. He's got to have some long legs though, because I swear his kicks are all the way down my side and into my back. I hope he hasn't popped open my womb in there! haha 

Food cravings: Popsicles (thanking Auntie Rachel for making me buy a big box when she was in town), pizza, chicken fingers, and cashews. The other day, I made a ziplock bag full of cashews before work. So crazy how you just want something so bad! 

Anything making you queasy or sick? Still seafood. My husband had a seafood feast on his NYC business trip, and even reading his texts about what he ate grossed me out, lol. 

Gender: Still BOY! 

Labor signs: Nesting, wanting everything clean and put away so bad! And definitely feeling every now and then an achy, almost period cramp like pain. But it goes away right after I move or change positions or go to the bathroom. They say a full bladder can make you cramp, so I'm trying to go as much as I can to prevent that feeling! 

Symptoms: Heartburn, frequent urination, exhaustion, backache, for the first time some leg cramps, acne (have a nice pimple on my forehead, which they say is to be expected this week since baby's testicles are dropping, so I guess your hormones rage!)

Belly button in or out? It's totally popped out! EEK!!!

Wedding rings on or off? Still on! I feel really lucky about that too! 

Happy or moody most of the time: This week, happy. Time is flying. I cannot believe how soon he'll be here. I told my husband today, what makes it super real is getting coupons in the mail that expire AFTER his due date. Like, this will actually be happening in about 5 weeks now (sorry, this post is a few days late). WE'RE SO EXCITED!!!!

Your Nursery is Finished- All We Need is You!

Hi Baby Boy,

We are finally finished with your nursery! Mommy took a bunch of pictures today. From painting the walls, to picking out furniture, to making decorations, it has been such a fun process to organize and put everything together. Mommy just loves seeing your name everywhere!

DIY- Spray-painted Alphabet Letter

Your crib! 

Embroidered Puppy Towel

Daddy and Gramma LoLo painted the walls way back around 19 weeks. Since then, we've been slowly but surely putting everything up.

The Nursery

Daddy put together your crib, and hung everything up on the walls.

The Crib (we will take out bumpers & blankets once you're here- they are a safety hazard!)

Mommy picked out the furniture from a shop in Ohio City and had the designer refinish them in chocolate brown. Mommy also did some crafts for your room- she painted and glued on all the alphabet letters and numbers around your mirror

Silly Mommy in the Mirror

I put together a little Family photo tree for you too.

Your Family Tree

Mommy also got a bunch of baskets to keep everything organized and glued little chalkboards on, so she could keep everything labeled. (OCD, haha.)

Baskets & Bins- all organized

Puppies poking out everywhere!

Since our shower was two weeks ago, Mommy made sure everything got hung in your closet and put away.

Our little "book nook" where you'll get lots of bedtime stories and rocked to sleep at night

We also hung up your special signed "L" from everyone, and it's clear so many people love you already!

As you can see, there are plenty of puppies and sports everywhere. These are Mommy & Daddy's two favorite things, so we have a feeling you might like them too. You might even think you're a puppy too.

Puppies

Sports

Newborn Puppy Outfit

Puppy & Sports Mobile

Well Mr. Landon, we've got your room all ready for you. I have enjoyed every minute of decorating it, putting everything together, and preparing for you to come home. We've got 6 weeks from today. Take your time, grow big and strong in there, but when you're ready for our world, we're ready for you! 

Love you so much,

Mommy xoxo

Your Rocking "Puppy" 

33 Week Bumpdate

33 Week Bump Shot

How far along?  33 weeks- 8 months- 3rd trimester  - Next month is our baby's birthday!!

Total weight gain: 147 lbs, up 1 lbs from last week... puts me at 22 lbs total so far. Officially at BEACH BALL status!  

Maternity clothes: Yes- wearing an ASOS maternity dress in this picture, but a non-maternity blazer. Had to run an interview day at work today, and it's getting harder and harder to be professionally dressed maternity style. 

Stretch marks? Still nothing- feeling so lucky, because he's definitely WAYYYYY bigger too! 

Sleep: It still is a struggle, but honestly, I've been so exhausted, it's been easier to fall asleep, but I'm still getting up a lot to turn sides or pee all the time! And I've actually even taken a nap a few days, which NEVER HAPPENS! 

Best moment this week:  Our Babymoon! It was so nice to spend purposeful, one-on-one time with Adam and reconnect. We went for a couples massage, we went to dinner downtown, we saw a comedy show, and we stayed overnight in a hotel downtown, got breakfast in the morning, then watched a marathon of House of Cards all day Sunday. It was so nice to talk and laugh and just spend quality time together. Makes me all the more excited that we're having a baby and going to raise our son together. :)

Miss anything?  I was super jealous of my husband being able to order drinks when we were out of our Babymoon date. It will be nice to have a fancy cocktail again in just over 6 weeks! :)

Movement:  Yes- I still love it. People say that it starts to hurt, but I don't feel like it hurts! It's exciting! 

Food cravings: PROTEIN- haha. Steak, eggs, peanut butter, and apples. 

Anything making you queasy or sick? Seafood. YUCK! 

Gender: Still BOY! 

Labor signs: Nesting, Braxton-Hicks are happening every now and then too!  

Symptoms: Heartburn, frequent urination (still feeling like have to pee 24/7), exhaustion, congestion, abdominal aches and pains, back ache, and insomnia 

Belly button in or out? It's totally popped out! EEK!!!

Wedding rings on or off? On!

Happy or moody most of the time: This week, happy. Our weekend really made me so excited and feel so blessed to have my husband and that we're having a baby. I can't believe we're so lucky to get this little miracle added to our family next month. April can't get here soon enough! 

Babymoon

Hi Little One,

How are you doing in there? From what Mommy can tell, you are getting bigger by the day. It's amazing. I can feel your little butt bump up against my belly, and little pokes from your feet and your toes. I didn't realize I'd be able to actually tell the difference so easily! And I've been telling Daddy you've officially upgraded from a basketball to a beach ball. At this rate, next month you'll be one of those big exercise balls!

This weekend, Mommy and Daddy had our "Babymoon." We didn't really go anywhere out of town, but we did get out of the house for the day and a night out, and even stayed at a hotel downtown.

Downtown on East 4th for our Babymoon

We started our day with a couples massage at Sacred Hour. Daddy had never had a massage before, and it was so nice and relaxing. Daddy got a glass of champagne, and they used aromatherapy oils on Daddy- he picked out a grapefruit scented one. Mommy wasn't allowed to do either, since she's pregnant, but she could still smell Daddy's oil and it sure smelled good! Mommy's worried she created a monster- Daddy loved it, and might be going for monthly massages now. But oh well if he does- he works hard and deserves it.

For dinner we made a reservation at Greenhouse Tavern on East 4th street. It was so yummy! We started off with Animal Fries- french fries loaded with gravy,  mozzarella cheese, bacon, and two fried eggs! So rich, and so good. Mommy and Daddy stuffed ourselves, and couldn't even finish the plate it was so huge. Daddy got a lamb burger, and Mommy got a steak and salad. Needless to say, I think you got your fill of protein after that meal. Simply delicious! When they say Cleveland is a foodie town, they aren't kidding.

Animal Fries- Greenhouse Tavern

After Dinner we went to Pickwick & Frolic for a comedy show. It was so funny! Mommy and Daddy have been there before, and we said it was definitely the top show we've seen there. I had lots of belly laughs, so sorry if I was shaking you up in there, Little One.

Our Babymoon

After the comedy show we went back to our hotel- the Hilton Garden Inn downtown. Mommy won a gift certificate for a free night there from work. We played some games when we got back to the hotel, and just enjoyed alone time, even though we said how we missed Colie about a million times and talked about you a whole bunch too. We just can't believe you'll be here in 7 weeks! We got some snacks (Mommy got a Drumstick cone and chocolate acai berries, and Daddy got popcorn, Skittles, and somehow lost the Mentos he got on the ride up from the elevator, and Mommy had to hear about how disappointed he was about losing the Mentos about 50 times, lol. Silly Daddy.) The only other bad part of the night was someone set the fire alarm off around 11:00 PM, so we all had to go downstairs and wait in the lobby for a half hour. But luckily, we didn't have to go outside in the cold, and we got to go back upstairs and got a good night's rest.

In the morning, we woke up and had breakfast at the hotel. Daddy got a bagel, pancakes, bacon, and potatoes. Mommy ate a lot of your favorites that you've been craving- an omelet, some bacon, and a yogurt parfait with pineapple, bananas, and granola. You ate well again! So hopefully you soak it all up to keep growing big and strong.

It was great that Mommy and Daddy got to have a relaxing day and a night out the two of us. But don't think for one second that we aren't beyond excited for when you finally arrive, baby boy! We are just relishing every moment of this experience- being pregnant and getting to raise you together. We can't wait to meet you, Landon. But take your time in there, buddy. We want you to be as healthy as possible, even though we can't wait to hold you and see what you look like. We love you so much!!

Love you,

Mommy xoxo